The new feature prevents USB accessories from connecting to the iOS device if the device has been locked for more than an hour (although there does seem to be a limitation to this).

Here’s where the new setting lives:

Tap on Settings > Touch ID & Passcode (or on the iPhone X Face ID)

You will now need to enter your passcode/pincode, then scroll down until you reach USB Accessories. Below shows the feature off…

USB Restricted Mode in iOS 11.4.1 – disabled

An here it is turned on:

USB Restricted Mode in iOS 11.4.1 – enabled

It also turns out that activating SOS mode – pressing the power button five times in rapid succession – disables the USB port along with forcing passcode entry (this works no matter what option you choose from the screen, even if you choose cancel).

Apple has announced a new feature coming in iOS 12 that will automatically share the location of an iPhone with emergency services when users ring 911.

The iOS 12 feature is aimed at providing faster and more accurate information to first-responders and cutting emergency response times.

Apple says about 80 percent of 911 calls come from mobile devices, but outdated infrastructure makes it difficult for 911 centers to locate a device’s location.

Apple launched its HELO or Hybridized Emergency Location system in 2015 as part of its answer to this problem. It uses cell-tower data, GPS, and Wi-Fi access points to estimate a mobile 911 caller’s location.

The Wall Street Journal reported in January that AT&T and T-Mobile recently started using Apple’s HELO, while Verizon and Sprint were testing a similar system from Google.

Given Apple’s firm stance on iPhone user privacy, the company stresses that user location data cannot be used for any non-emergency purpose, and only the 911 center will have access to the user’s location during an emergency call.

“Communities rely on 911 centers in an emergency, and we believe they should have the best available technology at their disposal,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.

“When every moment counts, these tools will help first responders reach our customers when they most need assistance.”

iOS 12 is due out this fall and the combined systems could go a long way to helping carriers meet FCC rules that require them to be able to locate callers within 50 meters at least 80 percent of the time by 2021.

“This will accelerate the deployment of Next Generation 911 for everyone, saving lives and protecting property,” said Rob McMullen, president of the National Emergency Number Association, the 911 Association.

Tom Wheeler, former FCC Chairman from 2013 to 2017, said: “Lives will be saved thanks to this effort by Apple and RapidSOS.”

The new iOS 12 feature aims to get accurate location data to first-responders more quickly, cutting emergency response times.

I’ve spent a fair bit of time poking around the new iOS 12 beta, and come across a fair number of new features. Some seem useful, others not so. But there’s one new feature that I don’t think I’ll even be activating.

The feature in question is automatic updating for iOS. While it’s unclear how this works (current iOS updates require a fair bit of user interaction), it seems to promise to keep the iOS install on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch updated for you.

If you’ve got iOS 12 beta installed, you can find this new feature in Settings > General > Software Update > Automatic Updates.

The default for this setting is off.

Under iOS 11, when there’s a software update available, iOS throws up a notification and pops a badge on the Settings app icon. The user then has to initiate the update manually.

But I can’t see myself activating this setting on my daily driver devices. Why? Because iOS updates can be very variable in quality. While some are relatively problem-free, others can leave you hating life.

I’d much rather wait and pull the trigger on the update under my terms.

For parents or guardians who have Google’s Family Link app set up on a child’s Android or Chrome OS device, you’re about to get some help with this process.

Google on Tuesday announced a new card will begin appearing in the Family Link timeline in the parent’s app. The card will show app recommendations for various educational categories Google has received from teachers.

Google, Inc.

Through the card, the parent can view details about the app and install it on the child’s device with a tap. The card is rolling out now for users in the US with children between the ages of six and nine.

Devices across the line, from the iPhone 6 to the iPhone X, seem to be sporadically affected. One commonality seems to be seeing the battery drain rapidly overnight.

Some users are claiming that disabling the Handoff feature alleviates the issue, but others are reporting no change after making this tweak. Some of those affected say that restating their iPhone fixed the problem (since this is simple and non-destructive, it might be worth a try).

Battery degradation doesn’t seem to play a part, with some users reporting that iOS’s built-in battery health checker is giving their handset a clean bill of health. Others affected say that their battery was replaced not that long ago.

Apple is adding Group FaceTime to iOS 12 in a move that could make it more of a player in video conferencing and collaboration.

Given Apple’s iOS and device footprint in the enterprise, the move to add multiple folks into a FaceTime should raise a few eyebrows for everyone from Microsoft’s Skype to Zoom to Blue Jeans and Cisco’s WebEx.

Just as Google became a collaboration player with G Suite, Apple can use FaceTime as its Trojan Horse to the enterprise. Apple software chief Craig Federighi outlined access to Animojis and Memojis and chat to video features that would be more consumer-ish.

But rest assured FaceTime can be a bring-your-own collaboration tool. “It works on iPhone, iPad and Mac, and you can answer in audio on your wrist on Apple Watch,” said Federighi.

He added:

Setting up a group call couldn’t be easier. Instead of typing one person’s name you can type multiple. FaceTime is also integrated into Messages so you can go from a group chat into a group FaceTime, and people can drop out whenever they want.

Now FaceTime can add up to 32 simultaneous participants, though that would be one unwieldy conference call. But that limit highlights a selling point Apple could use in the enterprise.

The collaboration software players have no need to fret about FaceTime just yet — Apple would need screen sharing, integrated chat and recording to really be business ready — but for the average meeting Apple’s Group FaceTime may be good enough.

Apple said it will give Siri an overhaul and enable it to do more via an feature called shortcuts that automates and cuts steps in a function.

The general idea is that Apple will be able to tap into the collective knowhow of apps to move faster at work and home.

Siri will activate apps and take fewer steps to carry out a function. Apple software chief Craig Federighi unveiled shortcuts across multiple steps.

Simply put, Siri needed these shortcuts because it enables apps and customers to program it to make it more useful. With the move to shortcuts, Siri becomes less the AI bakeoff with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa and more about being an automation tool.

Federighi said Siri will be able to do the following:

Look up calendar times, weather, reminders.

Suggest you text a meeting organization.

Turn on do not disturb when in a movie.

Suggest you order coffee.

Federighi said that Siri continually works in the background and will look for suggestions. Apple said shortcuts can be created by users. There’s also a library for shortcuts.

Here’s where Siri can fall over: What happens if Siri is overloaded with apps.

Another potential issue: It’s unclear whether iPhone and iPad users will take the time to create Siri shortcuts.

Heading into the announcement, I came up with a wish list of what I humbly wanted to see in the update. Here’s what made the cut and what (still) is nowhere to be seen.

What’s new in iOS 12?

Better notifications

(Image: Apple Inc.)

With iOS 12, notifications are now grouped by app, removing the never-ending list of notifications that greeted me each morning.

There’s a drop-down arrow to unveil all notifications in a particular bundle and tools to adjust an app’s notification settings directly from the lock screen.

There’s still some work to be done on notifications, but this is a good start.

Better parental controls

(Image: Apple Inc.)

Even though this was toward the bottom of my wish list, it honestly was something I hoped for more than anything else. I have three kids, each with their own iPod touch. I’ve grown frustrated over the years with Apple’s lack of in-depth parental controls.

With iOS 12’s Screen Time feature, all users will have access to granular information about time spent in specific apps, how many times a device is unlocked per day, and the number of notifications each app received.

Those features also carry over to a child’s device that is linked to your iCloud account through Apple’s Family Sharing feature. Once iOS 12 is out, I can limit screen time for specific apps or by app category.

I cannot wait to dig into this feature and ultimately annoy my kids.

Improved Siri

Apple Shortcuts app that will launch alongside iOS 12.

(Image: Apple Inc.)

Siri is set to receive a pretty substantial upgrade this fall with a new Shortcuts feature. The feature expands Siri’s capabilities outside of a handful of app types and gives developers and users the option to create custom commands.

For example, Apple demonstrated a custom Siri command of “Travel plans” created in the Kayak app. Once set up, the command prompts Siri to use the Kayak app to provide information about the next itinerary item, in this case, the hotel address and check-in time.

For more custom commands, users can download a dedicated Shortcuts app to create and link several custom actions together. For instance, a simple command of “heading home” could send a text to your partner, get directions, and open your favorite podcast without any further interaction on your part.

Messages in iCloud

Messages in iCloud wasn’t officially launched at WWDC because it was released the week before, with iOS 11.4. Now that it’s out and publicly available, hopefully we are one step closer to iMessage on more platforms.

What’s still missing in iOS 12?

Missing features from the announcement and iOS 12 include the ability to set default apps, multi-user support on the iPad, a redesigned homescreen, always-on display, and a new location for Control Center on the iPhone X. In fact, Apple doubled-down on Control Center’s location by moving it to the same spot on the iPad.

If we throw Messages in iCloud out of the equation, since it was released before WWDC, exactly half of my wish list is coming to iOS 12. I’m excited to see just how far the parental controls go, and to see what can be done with Siri Shortcuts once the public beta is released later this month.

The release notes for iOS 11.4 also outline a series of fixes and improvements:

Enables teachers to assign their students reading activities in iBooks using the Schoolwork app

Fixes an issue where certain character sequences could cause Messages to crash

Addresses a Messages issue that could cause some messages to appear out of order

Addresses an issue that could prevent logging in or accessing files on Google Drive, Google Docs and Gmail in Safari

Fixes an issue that could prevent data syncing in Health

Fixes an issue that could prevent users from changing what apps can access Health data

Resolves an issue that could cause an app to appear in an incorrect location on the Home screen

Fixes an issue where CarPlay audio could become distorted

Fixes an issue where selecting music from your iPhone could fail when playing music over Bluetooth or when connected to USB on some vehicles

To download the update, go Settings > General > Software Update (the preferred way, and it’s about 350MB), or connect your iPhone to a computer running iTunes and then carry out the update (this is slower and downloads the entire operating system as opposed to just the changes, and it comes in at several gigabytes).

Today sees a new LastPass update being pushed out to iOS that enables users to log in to their LastPass Premium, Families, Teams and Enterprise accounts on their iPhone using the same Yubico YubiKey NEO hardware authentication key that they use on their desktop, laptop, or Android device.

Rather than having to remember a passphrase, users can simply tap they YubiKey NEO on the iPhone to authenticate.

“It’s absolutely critical to have a hardware-based root of trust, like the YubiKey, to establish an approved relationship between a mobile phone and the apps we use,” said Stina Ehrensvard, CEO and Founder, Yubico. “Mobile authentication methods, like SMS or push apps, cannot be considered as trusted second factors to authenticate in a mobile app setting. They can be spoofed by porting a number to a different mobile device or can be very unreliable at the mercy of the phone networks.”

“Integrating the Yubico SDK into the LastPass iOS app was a quick and painless process, mostly because the NFC API matched almost 1:1 with the Yubico SDK API,” said Akos Putz, Principal Product Manager for LastPass at LogMeIn. “We’re excited to offer this new authentication method for our iOS users right out of the gate, giving them another option for adding an extra layer of security to their LastPass vault.”

This is likely to be the first of many, as Yubico makes available an SDK to developers to enables rapid integration of YubiKey OTP authentication over NFC in any iOS mobile app.

For more information on YubiKey keys and how they can be used, see here. The YubiKey NEO costs $50.